How to Choose the Right Jojoba Oil for Your Acne Prone Skin

A little while ago, I wrote an article about manuka honey and why some people might break out when they switch over to a more natural skin care routine.

From what it sounded like from the response to that article, people definitely have more problems with jojoba oil than they do with using honey on their face.

Oils do tend to be pretty controversial when it comes to skin care – some people’s skin loves them, but others break out from them.

I think it tends to be the case of finding the right oil for your skin. If one breaks you out, it doesn’t mean that others will. I know I harp on about jojoba oil because that’s what I use, but it is okay to use other oils instead.

However, I’m just not an expert on which oils are best for which skin types (yet), so I haven’t written an article on all the various oils and what’s good for who. Maybe I’ll get it all figured out and do that one day.

** [UPDATE] – you can now read two excellent articles about oils and finding the right ones for you both here, and here. **

However, I’m not sure it’ll happen, because you’ve probably heard me mention before that I don’t even really like the topic of external skin care very much.

In fact, I’m honestly considering just throwing away every single product I own and doing the caveman regimen instead (but that’s a story for another day!). I’ve already started only washing my face once a day again, in the evening.

But anyway, back to jojoba oil.

While some people’s skin may genuinely not like jojoba oil (or other oils), often the issue is simply a matter of quality. Most oils out there are crappy, or rancid. If you get a refined, pesticide laden product, you shouldn’t be surprised if it breaks you out.

What is Jojoba Oil, Exactly?

Jojoba oil is the extract of the seeds of a jojoba plant, which is a desert plant that originated in the Sonaran Desert in the south west United Sates.

The reason jojoba oil is so frequently recommended as the best oil for skin care is because it is actually not like other oils at all – in fact, contrary to its name and appearance, it’s actually a wax ester. It is made of long straight chains of wax molecules instead of triglycerides (fatty acids) like normal vegetable oils.

This means that unlike regular oils, you don’t have to worry about it going rancid and it has a very long shelf life. This waxy property also makes it the most molecularly similar thing to human sebum.

Because it is so similar to human sebum, it can be used on oily skin to trick your pores into thinking they are already saturated with oil and therefore that they do not need to overproduce.

Personally, my skin is more on the dry side, so I use it as a moisturizer and for many people it works fantastically for this purpose.

However, I just learned that jojoba actually has some mild astringent properties too (ie drying), so if you have really dry skin, and find that jojoba isn’t helping, that could be why. Or if it works well for a while, and then starts making your skin too dry.

If this is you, you might do better with something like argan oil, which is more moisturizing, yet still great for acne prone skin.

Which Jojoba Oil Does Tracy Use?

Before I talk about anything else, you probably just want to know which jojoba oil I use. To be honest, I’ve only used two different brands – one wasn’t even a brand, it was an organic jojoba oil that was packaged for the specific health store that I bought it from in Vancouver, so it’s not widely available.

The other one, the one I’m currently using, is the Australian golden jojoba oil that Fran sells in her shop at High on Health. It’s very, very good quality, and I really, really like it.

However, it’s pretty expensive (but all good jojoba is), and the only reason I even bought it was because I’m currently in Australia, so the shipping is cheap. I don’t have a clue how much the shipping is on her products to overseas addresses – maybe I will find out when I go home to Canada and run out of jojoba oil!

So either way, if Fran’s jojoba oil is out of the question, you need to know which properties to look for when hunting for a good jojoba oil to try.

What to Look for In Your Jojoba Oil

Well, first of all, your jojoba oil must be organic. Don’t cheap out and buy non-organic jojoba oil… you don’t want it bringing pesticides and chemicals into your pores.

Okay – what else?

You need to make sure that what you’re buying is 100% first-pressed expeller-pressed (or “cold pressed”) organic jojoba oil. This is often labeled ‘unrefined’.

What that means is this: they use a machine called an expeller press to extract the oil from the seed. What is left is jojoba meal, and the unrefined, first pressed jojoba oil.

That is the stuff that you want.

You don’t want refined jojoba oil. You don’t want jojoba oil that was solvent extracted from the seeds (ie, chemically extracted). You don’t want the second press jojoba oil (which is from a second pressing of the same seeds), because it’s often of much lower quality and needs a lot of chemicals to make it look and smell good.

You also don’t want a blended jojoba oil that contains both unrefined and second-press refined stuff.

For more elaboration on all of this, please read this webpage, as it explains it all very clearly.

Quality Jojoba Brands that I Recommend

Many people out there are using a brand called Desert Essence because it’s very widely available. While it’s organic and says it’s ‘pure’, I get the impression that this jojoba may be refined, or at least a refined blend, and that the word ‘pure’ here is just a meaningless marketing term.

I seem to recall somewhere reading about people having problems with this particular brand. Plus, it’s cheap, and good quality jojoba oil is usually not, so that isn’t a good sign.

To be honest, in my searches, it’s been difficult to find a good brand that lives up to all the right quality standards aside from the Australian Golden one.

Here‘s another good one that I found on Amazon.com from High Altitude Organics. A reader also emailed this company called Aura Cacia and was told their jojoba oil was 100% cold pressed and unrefined.

Aaaand that’s about all I could find. There’s obviously a lot of crappy jojoba oil being sold out there, so it doesn’t surprise me so much that people are having trouble with it. So before you write it off, make sure you try out the good stuff!

Oh, one last tip:

I’ve also been hearing that people have more issues with jojoba oil when they use too much of it. If it sits on the skin, I can see how it may begin attracting dirt and other particles into the pore.

It is best to use only a couple drops of it, and massage it into wet skin (or just wet your hands first) to help it absorb, as well as spread evenly. Without dampness, it’s hard to evenly distribute, meaning you’ll use more than you’re supposed to.

If you use too much, then I find that rinsing the jojoba oil after you apply it and then patting the skin with a towel seems to take off the excess and leave just the right amount.

Have you been using jojoba oil? What brand? What quality? What has your experience been?

I was informed, that the jojoba will first make you break out because it is pulling all the “junk” out of your pores. I have severe acne prone skin, and all I use is organic jojoba. I did experience a little worse breakout before it all cleared up. So I would give it a month, to make it thru your period.

Also, use a hot towel to remove access oil after applying. Jojoba can be used as a cleanser, use a hot towel to remove, then even reapply for moisture. You can use a cotton round to remove access. But acne will get worse before it gets better, its cleansing your pores.

Tracy, other than wedderspoon, do you have any other honey recommendations that are almost white in colour? I’e found some by golden hills, but it doesn’t sound like good quality, not does it have a UMF/ULF rating. (Jellybush honey looks to be almost clear in colour)

Hi Nathan!
I’m not really sure about other manuka honeys to recommend…. the jellybush honey was actually pretty dark, and it was a little bit grainy, which I didn’t like. It felt more irritating than the other ones.

I am actually pretty happy with Jojoba Oil. My skin is (used to be) very, very oily. Like,
r e a l l y oily. I started using oils instead of anything else in 2010 and started preferring oils to other moisturizers. I started using the Dr. Hauschka oil but got blackheads from it – or at least I got blackheads during the time I was using that oil. I then changed and used hemp oil for I read that it was good against oily skin and also good for fighting acne. I liked that better but had the feeling that it kind of dried my face out and, therefore, caused an increasing production of oil…
I am now happily using the Jojoba Oil by a brand called Primavera (I am from Germany and living here, that’s the ‘most’ organic one I found) or a brand called Spinnrad. Since I am using Jooba Oil I honestly do not have a problem with greasiness anymore! I apply it in the morning and sometimes my face’s still kinda matte in the evening (it used to start shining just a few minutes later before). My acne is a lot better, too. However, sometimes I am getting a lot of tiny little impurities that may come from the oil, even though I am loving your rinsing-and-using-the-towel-trick. I now thought about using grape seed oil for I read that it is also great for acne. http://www.bodykind.com/product/2885-PRIMAVERA-Organic-Face-Oil-Grape-Seed-Oil-30ml.aspx What do you think about that?

I’m using the Melvita jojoba oil (it’s imported from France). It’s extracted from the fruits. You were talking about seeds extraction so I’m a bit confused here. It is 100% organic jojoba oil, first cold pressed.

I use NOW Foods pure jojoba oil which I buy from GNC. And yes, Tracy, I know you just said not to trust “pure”, lol, but this stuff works really well. The only issue I had was getting little white spots around my eyes (I mentioned that to you on Facebook, haha), but that seemed to just be an initial break out of sorts, because it’s completely gone now.

I find it interesting that you said jojoba has astringent properties. The majority of my face stays really moisturized, but the tip of my nose always looks flaky when I put makeup on. Now I might know why, lol.

AW hey, I’ve used NOW, and it did break out my face and not soon after cleansed it. I like NOW, it’s perfect, but I got those white spots, what are they and how do you get rid of them fully? (Around the eye sags)

A while back I wrote to you about have an alergic reaction to this. Than you talked about the cavemen regimen. I started it and after 2 weeks i have no acne on my skin. Just a bit of hiperpigmentation thats all. So worth it.

Hey!!! Thank you for this – I’m stoked to hear someone’s used the caveman regimen and it’s worked out really well!

The biggest hurdle for me with the caveman is mostly just because I’m so used to being able to use a dab of makeup here and there to cover any minor spots or hyper-pigmentation I might have, that it causes major anxiety to not do that if I were to do the caveman – considering I don’t really want to wear makeup and not wash it off, right……. how are you dealing with that?

Personally I feel that committing myself to doing a caveman regimen would force me to deal with whatever fear that I have regarding not wearing any makeup. It’s silly because my skin is quite good, and it still causes anxiety, so it’s obviously just an emotional thing that needs to be dealt with straight on.

Anyway…. thank you so much for telling me that it’s worked great for you!!

PS. because I’m traveling for the next week and at a festival without good bathroom facilities, I think I’m gonna do the full caveman experiment for this time….. no makeup, no washing, no water and see how it goes! If it goes well, maybe I’ll keep going!

So on the caveman routine, don’t you even use water?! I’m not sure I could do that, for one because of the shower but also because of pollutants or dirt and dust. I think I’m going to give up looking for very light coloured honey and just use water!

If nothing else it will save time and quite a bit of money!

PS I bought organic virgin coconut oil and I love it 🙂 (for cooking that is)

One big theory is that you want to stop using even water on your face for like… a month or two, and just completely leave your face alone to sort of… normalize itself from the years of washing and products. Build up its acid mantle and it’s protection, and that protects you from acne bacteria… allegedly. After that you can wash with water whenever… like every three days or something.

Other people will just wash with water and not do the whole month long no-water thing. However, I find that water itself is pretty drying, and then you tend to need a moisturizer.

Anyway… I don’t know. I like the whole idea. I’m sure I’ll be writing further things on this in the future.

No way! When I was in the 6th grade, I didn’t wash my face except when I washed my hair once a week, and even then I only used water. And guess what? That’s the year I got really bad ace on my forehead. I’m in 12th now, and the acne problem is tons better but not all the way gone. Now I mostly breakout on my cheeks and chin *ugh* And I’ve tried pretty much every face wash I found, currently I’m doing the oil cleaning and my face is better but not perfect yet. Wish me luck!

May I ask what kind of make up you are using? I personally cannot leave using it, either… I might have to wait until I am ready for this. Although I must admit that the jojoba oil has lead me towards not using anything else 🙂

Water actually has a different pH to your skin. Water sits at neutral (7) and your skin is usually slightly acidic. (5.5-6.5 pH) so even using water can break down the protective layer that keeps bacteria out of your pores. This could be why they recommend not using it.

Tracy, I want to tell you what may be a great secret to many – no makeup is super f***in’ hot. Simple as that. When I see a girl obviously dressed for the evening and wearing zero makeup, I think “Oh baby…” (and I’m saying that in Barry White voice:) Now if I can just find a girl who feels the same about my long beard (growing it out again). To the subject at hand – I’m using NOW jojoba oil to condition said beard. It says it’s expeller pressed, and it costs the same as the unbranded organic stuff on eBay (I bought the NOW because I needed free shipping on Amazon). I’m hardly an expert on this, but it would seem to be alright per the criteria. It has a very slight spicy smell, I would even dare say appetizing.

Thank you for this post!I went to my local health shop today and bought organic jojoba oil from the brand Primavera. It says that its cold-pressed from Peru. I`m gonna use it for a while and then let you know how it works.
Ps. Happy Valentine`s day:)

I’ve been using grapeseed oil for a while and I really like it. In the past I’ve used canola, olive, sweet almond, apricot kernel, and jojoba; I wanted to try out a few different oils. I like jojoba and grapeseed the best, but the grape seed is way cheaper and easier to obtain. I just dab a few drops on, let it soak in for a few minutes and then blot with some toilet paper. Works like a charm.

Also, I’ve heard that one should by skincare oils in small quantities, getting a new bottle more often, that way it’s less likely to become rancid.

Cool, thanks for the suggestion on the grapeseed oil…
As for buying in small quantities, that is very true. For jojoba oil, I think it’s different, because it’s actually a wax and not a fat, it doesn’t go off the way other oils do. But for something like olive, grapeseed, almond etc….. definitely need to be changed often, and should be as unrefined as possible and kept in a dark bottle to protect it from light 🙂

Cool to hear someone’s using grapeseed oil, too – I posted a comment a little above you in which I am talking about this. Do you prefer it to jojoba? May I ask what kind of acne / skin condition you have?

I wouldn’t say I prefer the grapeseed oil, in fact I think I may have liked the jojoba a little more just because it was a little lighter, but that’s all. Essentially they gave me the same results.

My skin used to be really oily, but now its become a combination of oily and dry (if that makes any sense). As for acne, I get maybe two or three tiny zits a week, which aren’t very noticeable (more if I’m on my period). I blame this on my genetics and diet, which is pretty good but not perfect. But I’m happy with where I am.

I simply love this site! I have learned so much reading Tracy‘s posts and books, that now I‘d like to give something back in return! Since I have tried many different oils and plant butters on my face over the last years, I‘d like to share my experience with you, especially about which oil to use on which skin type and how to use it. So here we go:

First of all: Always apply only a few drops of oil to damp skin (or wash off the excess oil, patting the skin with a towel afterwards, just like Tracy does). Good quality organic and cold pressed oils won‘t clog your pores, but you can still easily create a very thick layer of far too much oil on your face, which means your skin won‘t be able breathe! I personally do not believe in those comedogenic-ingredients-sheets listing single ingredients tested on rabbit ears without even differentiating between cold pressed, refined or hydrogenated oils. I think, the biggest problem with most commercial products is the combination of fats with other questionable ingredients: fats plus emulsifiers (i.e. PEG-esters or anything labelled “ethyl-“, “ceteareth-“, “cethyl-“, “stearyl-“) and/or fats plus film building agents (i.e. silicone, paraffin, glycerin, triglycerides, …), not to mention preservatives, perfume and solvents.

It will take some time to detect which oil is really good for you. Here some brief indication:
A good oil: your skin looks matte, not stressed, feels well rested, dewy and moisturized.
An uncool oil: your skin “feels wrong”, looks patchy, the oil just lies on top of your skin and does not sink in very well (even oils should always be completely absorbed. If not, your skin might not need any moisturizer at all).
So if you are courageous, just try it out! Do not expect an overnight miracle though. It just takes time to find the right dose of the right oil (or a mixture of different oils) for your skin. Your choices might change with the seasons, your own personal life cycle or your mood.

Let‘s talk about the oils themselves: Oils and fats consist in fatty acids. There are saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Every oil is characterized by an individual spectrum of fatty acids, vitamins and other substances (phospholipids, plant sterols, squalenes,
flavonoids, carotenoids and many more) that make it either great for your skin or inappropriate. Everybody is different and reacts differently to different oils. There are non-drying (heavier) and drying (lighter) oils. That is basically just a figurative expression of how quickly and easily an oil is absorbed into your skin or if it is well suited for dry skin. In painting, for example, linseed and poppy-seed oil are used. Both are extremely fast-drying oils.

So what makes the difference between slowly and fast-drying oils? Their composition of fatty acids: oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, lauric acid and so on.

A high proportion of oleic acid – a mono-unsaturated fatty acid – characterizes all these velvety oils, which feel so soft and nice on dry skin: olive, macadamia, avocado, canola or hazelnut oil, for instance. These oils are slowly-drying oils and do not get rancid too fast.
On the other hand, a high amount of linoleic acid makes an oil lighter. These oils are particularly good for acne prone skin because linoleic acid seems to have the ability to reduce comedones (please see source and link below). Of course, you won‘t see a miracle overnight, but after a month or two you might see a difference! Oils containing a high percentage of linoleic acid are: thistle/safflower oil, hemp oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil and rosehip oil. Evening primrose oil, borage seed oil and black currant seed oil are really good choices for dermatitis sufferers due to their specific composition: these oils contain a special fatty acid called gamma-linolenic acid.
Unfortunately, all these lighter, fast-drying oils get rancid very easily and are not very resistant to sunlight, so be sure to store them in the fridge and to use them preferably at night or during the winter months (at least if you want to avoid hyper-pigmentation or age spots).

Then, of course, there are many oils which are composed by almost equal parts of oleic acid and linoleic acid. These oils are neither extremely light nor super oily. Some examples: almond, sesame and plum kernel oil (a little more on the oily side) or apricot kernel oil (a quite balanced oil).

What about shea butter and coconut oil? These fats consist of mainly saturated fatty acids and are solid at room temperature. Shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, cupuacu butter and palm oil are rich in stearic acid and palmitic acid. Many people tolerate these plant butters without problems, even used pure on their skin. For others these butters are too much (having some kind of semi-occlusive effect). On the other hand palmitic acid makes a very nice smooth skin (I LOVE plant butters)! Coconut and babassu oil are a special case. They contain a saturated fatty acid called lauric acid, which also makes soaps foam. These fats are very stable, can be heated at high temperatures and are easily absorbed into the skin.

I hope, this might be of help for some of you to choose the best oils for the needs of your skin!

*
A very interesting study about linoleic acid:

„A major pathogenic factor of acne is the disturbed keratinization of the follicular infundibulum. It has been hypothesized that a relative decrease in linoleic acid in the sebum could be responsible, in part, for this. The aim of the present study was objectively to evaluate the effects of topically applied linoleic acid on the size of microcomedones in patients with mild acne. The design was a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized cross-over study. Evaluations were performed by digital image analysis of cyanoacrylate follicular biopsies. There was a significant effect of topically applied linoleic acid on the size of follicular casts and microcomedones, an almost 25% reduction in their overall size being achieved over a 1-month treatment period. In contrast, no change was found at placebo-treated sites. It is concluded that topical linoleic acid might play a role as a comedolytic agent in acne-prone patients.“

Wow! Thank you SO much Svea, that was so awesome and informative. I learned a lot! Would you be interested in writing an official guest post with this information so that it can be shared with everyone? I think it would be so helpful. If so, I’ll get in touch next week, when Im back from traveling.

Im currently using the desert essence brand on my face since december and its reduced my redness and the oil on my face. I used to have to pat my face with a paper towl in school just to get rid of the excess oil!

Bottom line i know how you said this brand might be shaky but if its been working good for me should i keep using it or should i spend more to get a more pricey brand?

Hey AJ, no way, if its working for you, just stick with it. I guess I should have made it more clear that this was more like…. letting people know that if jojoba oil isn’t working, maybe it’s the quality. But I don’t think desert essences is too bad… at least it’s organic, and if it works, sweet!

Thanks so much for this article! I found Fran’s blog a few months ago and tried probably too many natural products at once. Including the OCM which seems to have reeked havoc on my skin. I’ve cut it down to the basics. Just washing with honey and using jojoba oil to moisturize. I have super oily skin. My acne (the horrible red stuff) seems to be calmer now or goes away a lot faster. But I have developed an insane amount of white heads on my cheeks. My skin is covered in little bumps. In my 16 year battle with acne I’ve never had this problem. After reading this I think I might try changing Jojoba oil. I currently use organic cold pressed oil but maybe its time to try something new! I’ll try shipping some of Fran’s oil to Canada or try finding some better stuff around here.

Hi Tracy,
I just wanted to let you know that there seems to be something wrong with your Facebook button on your follow me bar on the right. When I click on it it takes me to an error page. I figured you’d want to know. 🙂

Looks like I’ll be exchanging the jojoba oil I just bought, lol. SO glad that I checked this site before opening it!

The bottle I grabbed doesn’t mention “refined” or “unrefined”. Instead they label it “pure filtered, expeller pressed”. I had to go onto the company’s website where it clarifies that filtered means refined. They do make an unrefined version (which they mention is good for acne & other skin issues) & state that it’s gold in color. I just don’t remember seeing anything but clear jojoba oils at the store I went to. The brand is “Heather Loraine Cosmetics” – no idea if it’s good as of yet.

Been using honey made by “Y.S. Organic Bee Farms” for a few days now & so far so good!

I don’t think that the oil-cleansing-method is suitable for everybody, especially if you have very sensitive or inflamed skin, so please be careful! For me it wasn’t great, at least to say. The first time I tried this method, I ended up with cystic acne. It was too harsh on my face because of rubbing too much, because of using the wrong oil and because of the very hot water.

To avoid that, massage your face only VERY VERY gently – or not at all. Just leave the oil on your face for about 20-30 minutes. Excess sebum will be removed anyhow and even some impurities might pop out. You don‘t have to use olive and castor oil though. Castor oil might remove too much natural sebum from your skin, so your skin might produce even more sebum to protect itself (you could use it for haircare instead). If you like, try jojoba, safflower, hemp, grape seed or sunflower oil if you have oily skin. If you have dry skin, macadamia, canola or olive oil (used alone) might be fine. Then, instead of using a very hot wet cloth to remove the excess oil, use a warm one pressing it gently on your face without rubbing. Repeat a few times. Don‘t use microfiber cloths, but only soft muslin or cotton cloths.

2)
Orris root powder mixed with water (or aloe vera gel) is very moisturizing and smells like violets! Leave on for just a few minutes, then rinse.
In the past, this has been used as a tooth powder as well. Whoever has a severe intolerance to fluoride / SLS / mint oil: try it!

I guess you’ll have to try out which one works better for you. We are all individuals and everybody’s skin will react differently to different oils, so I can’t give you any better advice. Always dilute these oils with a carrier substance like jojoba oil or aloe vera gel.

I really hope you see this and to everyone else looking for jojoba oil. It is my understanding that Acne.org’s jojoba oil is first-pressed organic jojoba. I have bought some before and it worked great for me. The bottle can be a little leaky but it does help for dispensing in droplets. It’s also really cheap in comparison to other sellers. I know this might seem fishy but Dan (the site’s creator) is really dedicated to helping others fix their acne and find what works for them. All I know is I have had success with it and it is the bran I like best so far. Here is the link to the page discussing their process of getting the jojoba. http://www.acne.org/jojoba-oil.php
you can also go to the acne.org website and into the store from that page to purchase it. Check it out and let me know if you think it’s a good option? Thanks for all the great tips!

Great blog, I love using straight jojoba oil on my face as a moisturizer – but I find that mixed with a little neem oil, it’s quite amazing! I couldn’t find info on whether neem oil is comedogenic or not, and I’ve done quite a bit of research on it online. However, I do know that neem oil has great anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities and so far, I’ve had really good results mixing it with a good quality jojoba. The only downside is the smell and the bitter taste – it’s pretty strong stuff. I find it quite useful for spot treatment as well, and a more effective and gentler substitue for tea tree oil that I used to use for pimples. Thanks a bunch again for all your insightful blog 🙂

Hello Tracy:) So ive been watching a lot of your videos and I decided to use the Manuka Honey and Jojoba Oil as a Cleanser/Moisturizer. I bought a Jojoba Oil at my local organic store. It is 100% Organic Jojoba Oil NOW(Brand). So everything has been going good but I don’t really like having a shiny face because of the Jojoba Oil, would you recommend Oil-Blooting Sheets? I want to give them a try as a male I don’t really like the whole oily look. The only thing is that the sheets contain Polypropylene , Mineral Oil , Dimethyldibenzylidene , Sorbitol , Ultramarines I dont know if any of this would cause breakouts.
Do you think washing face with manuka honey and jojoba oil morning and night would be too much? Thank You sooo much!

Hey Nathen – if you have to blot off your skin because of the jojoba oil, you are putting way too much on! Oils are great but if you pile them on, they can actually cause your skin to not be able to breathe and may cause your pores to get blocked. You need to just use a tiny bit, or put a bit more on and then rinse it off and pat your skin down so that it only leaves a tiny little bit that easily absorbs quickly.
Yeah, don’t use anything with chemicals on your face like those in the oil blotters.. just use less oil 🙂

Thank you soo much for the response Tracy means a lot! Yeah, I do apply alot of oil. The thing is if I dont I feel my skin still dry:/
But around the after noon I see alot of oil excess oil sittin on my face
I also wanted to talk to you about how I wash my face, do you think im washing it correctly?
How I wash it:
(Morning and Night)
Wash with nothing but Water
Pat Dry
Once my Face is Dry Apply Manuka Honey 25-30 minutes
Apply Jojoba Oil while face is still wet
Pat dry

I do this morning and night I feel like im doing it kind of wrong or washing it alot idk?

You keep a great blog and lifestyle! It’s really very inspiring. Lately I’ve gone a natural and holistic cleanse/regimen and it’s really helping my skin as well as my health overall. I hope your caveman regimen is going great!

Apart from cleansing my face with raw honey as well as with almond milk if I’m wearing make-up, I’ve also been using jojoba oil as a moisturizer for a while now, together with tamanu oil in my face cream (a mix of tea tree and Vitamin E cream) and I’m thinking of incorporating rosehip oil in it to see if it can boost the healing of my acne pigmentation.

I’m living in the US now and the air is dry and cold so that probably warrants for my skin’s love for the carrier oils I’m using … But I’m soon travelling back to where I grew up: a South-East Asian country and the air there is very VERY VERY VERY HUMID and HOT. I was wondering if you could offer any advice to how I should refine (if I need to) my skincare regimen? My skin was oily and burnt badly with tretinoin and dried out completely before I went on this holistic regimen … Now it’s nicely moisturized. I’m afraid it might get oily or go crazy again in the humid weather. I’m acne-prone and so far lifestyle changes have really changed things, and I definitely have this blog to thank for!

I’m super happy with my skincare regimen at the moment, and I wanted to say thank you and maybe provide a little hope for others.

My skin had been pretty consistently awful while I was eating dairy and using fairly simple facewashes and moisturizer (cetaphil-type stuff, Dermalogica, and Retin-A, the latter of which worked extremely well for about a year…). A couple of months ago I began to really drastically cut dairy (I now consume none on a regular basis) and I began to add in tons more anti-inflammatory foods (avocados, kale, etc). I also have been drinking 2 tablespoons of spirulina and 1 TBSP of chlorophyll daily.

About three weeks ago, I began using raw honey and jojoba oil (both organic) as Tracy recommends. I could tell it felt right, but I did get a few fast-growing-fast-healing whitehead type blemishes, which are totally gone now. So, three weeks in, I’m convinced I’m on the right path. My skin feels like it NEVER has (not since before puberty, for sure), and I have this trust growing that it will behave like skin ought to! Something about using natural products makes my skin SO happy, like it all jibes really well.

Lastly, because I wanted to avoid using soaps at all, I had to figure out a way to remove my makeup reliably without complicating the routine and making my face freak out. So I went natural again. I’ve been using organic EVOO with cotton to remove foundation and eye makeup and it works brilliantly; and it doesn’t seem to be leaving any trace for problems to arise. So far, so very good!

This article (and the video on washing with manuka) has pretty much changed my life in the span of a week. I had never heard of using jojoba in this way. Thank you SO much for putting this information out there. I’m so happy to be able to ditch chemicals for natural solutions.

What’s your suggestions for those of us who are athletic and might have cause to wash our faces multiple times in one day – like after the gym, a game or a practice? Whole manuka/jojoba routine every time? Just or the other?

Hi Jamie – I would seriously suggest not washing your face more than twice a day at the most, even if you work out… just dry your face with a towel, or splash it with water if you have to. Washing your face too much is very irritating, and causes your skin to overproduce oil. I now do a thing called the caveman regimen where I don’t wash my face at all, and rarely let water touch it – my skin is actually better, even than using natural products! I believe the sweat and sebum actually can protect your skin from bacteria – plus it also eliminates all irritation that can occur from washing.

Thanks so much for the tip, Tracy. A splash of water sounds workable. I’m not sure I’m ready to go cavewoman – yet. I’m really happy with how the manuka and jojoba are working so far. 🙂 The info that I’ve found on your site so far has been really helpful.

First ill give a quick summary of my skin condition. I first got acne late in high school when I started working at a fish n chips shop and its been downhill since then. Im 23 now and my skin has recovered somewhat to the point where ill have some weeks with cystic acne and some weeks acne free. My skin is dry after washing and becomes VERY oily within a few hours. Since i started using a gentle soap and cut dairy and gluten my skin has improved but not healed and is still very oily and i still get the same cystic breakouts. So now that im eating healthy i figure my skin needs to be healthier.

Ive been watching videos and reading this site and you have me convinced that the natural honey/ oil mix is the way to go. I live near Vancouver like Tracey used to so I picked up the wedderspoon manuka and some cold pressed jojoba. After using it for a few days its hard to tell if its working which doesnt surprise me. Should it take a while for my skin to adjust to the new routine? My skin starts off looking much better than it used to and it is definitely sweating oil less but my face still gets oily after a few hours. I figure ill give it a few week and see if my skin becomes healthier. Also by morning my skin is oily should i still pit the honey on with very oily skin or should i get the oil off first then use honey? Ive gotten a few cystic breakouts on my chin (where i usually get them) since using honey/ oil i figure im either rubbing it in too much or its just my skin adjusting? Any comments appreciated.

Hi Chase – yes, it will probably take a while for your skin to adjust to a new routine (and learn to stop overproducing oil). That’s true of any routine, but try not to have too many expectations about what is going to happen with it. You can put the honey directly on the oily skin, that’s fine. Also, if you’ve gotten some cystic breakouts where you usually get them, it’s probably nothing to do the honey and jojoba… it’s just how your skin is. Give it some time and then decide whether or not it has improved things or not. Even if it hasn’t cleared but it hasn’t gotten any worse, it’s better for your skin to use natural things like this instead of any harsh chemical products you may have been using before. Most acne comes from within and external skin care is only one small piece of the puzzle, so as I said, try not to have too many expectations about what is going to happen with this and just go with the flow.

I’m using 100% organic jojoba oil and i got it from biochemiaurody.com
Actually it’s called “jojoba butter”. Unfortunaltely it breaks me out, even with quite thin layer.
But i do love to use it on my nails (makes them a lot stronger and healthy), lips and eye lashes. They are truly darker and i can see new ones growing, after a couple of weeks you can really see the difference.

Thanks so much for not only this blog post, but all of them! I have honestly never even thought of a natural approach to clearing acne, and would have never thought that putting oil on my face would make it LESS oily. I’ve been using my jojoba oil for a little over a week (the listing says cold-pressed and organic, but it’s super cheap; should I be worried? http://www.amazon.com/Jojoba-Golden-Organic-100-Pure/dp/B005FFVATK), and I have noticed that my super oily cheeks and forehead have significantly improved. I can go the entire day and not even have a fraction of the amount of oil I had by that point prior to using the oil.

Here’s my question for you: even though my skin isn’t nearly as oily, I am breaking out far more than before. Could this be because of the quality of oil, or maybe jojoba oil isn’t right for me? Or is this something I should give more time? I’m getting married next May, so I’m kicking my acne research into high gear in hopes that I can have clear(er) skin on my big day!

Hi Melissa!
It’s great to hear the oil has been improving 🙂 That’s awesome. As for the breakouts – it is normal to have a bit of a purging period with jojoba… it’s usually like little whiteheads and things coming up to the surface. Is it like that or significantly worse? The jojoba you’re using looks fine as far as I can tell.

You’ll be happy to know that the purging period is over and my skin is looking and feeling great! It was mostly whiteheads, but there were one or two deeper ones too. The healing time went way down too; when I wrote the comment, my skin looked much worse than usual. Less than a week later, all of those pimples went away within a few days and there are currently no pimples in my usual spots (cheeks). I do, however, have a few right under my jawline, which I remember you mentioning as hormonal in another post.

I’ve been using a little tea tree oil at night in the areas I typically have problems, and using jojoba oil as my moisturizer both morning and night. The oil on my face is FINALLY under control! Yippee! I also used to have acne on my upper back (and couldn’t wear a tank top because I was embarrassed), which is completely gone now and hasn’t come back in months because I rub a cotton ball with tea tree oil on it on my back every night (just in case someone out there hasn’t found a solution for their own bacne yet).

I just received my Manuka honey order, which I’m super pumped about. Thanks again Tracy!

It’s working great! I’m actually only using it in Tracy’s Manuka honey concoction (https://thelovevitamin.com/1271/my-new-skin-care-routine-is-off-the-hook/). I wash my face with it in the morning and use it as a mask for 30 minutes at night. I still haven’t been able to stop using my Aveeno foam cleansing wash at night though, since I work out at night and want to clean my skin a little more (and let’s face it: I’m pretty nervous about skipping face wash altogether living in the humid climate of Houston). After I wash my face with the honey mix, it’s left looking clean and dewy, really amazing. Sorry, just had to compliment the honey mixture.

Anyway, great product for cheap. And the seller is great about taking care of their customers. Highly recommend. Just be sure to store it in a darker place (or get a dark glass bottle).

How long was your purging period. I’m starting my third week and still breaking out into small pimples (about 2 or so a day). I love how jojoba takes cares of the flakes so I don’t want to give it up. But I’m getting frustrated!

Hi! 🙂
Interested in trying jojoba oil and manuka honey. I’m hard pressed for money since I just had a baby, so I bought a jojoba oil that I don’t think meets your standards and now I’m regretting it! It’s NOW foods organic jojoba oil, expeller pressed and hexane free… is this okay?

Also, I live in Canada, is there a website where I can order manuka honey and not pay an arm and a leg for shipping? As well as for the jojoba oil if the one I bought doesn’t work… 🙂

Hi Sarah!
I say give the Now foods one a try.. it might be fine for your skin! As for the manuka honey.. I’m not entirely sure about a good website to order it from. I got it in my town from a local health food store, so maybe you could find it locally?

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that desert essence states on their website FAQ that their organic jojoba oil is cold pressed. It’s a good oil for me, although I’ve never had an issue with any jojoba even not organic.
Also I wish more people knew that when skin starts to normalize, it can go through an oily breaking out phase that will go away! It’s just the skin getting rid of the toxins 🙂 so give it a chance.

I was hoping you could advise based on your experience. I went on the Pill to assist with acne which helped for a couple years until recently, so I decided to stop. 3 months not taking pill & skin persisted to break out. I read your blog and used most of your tips. I stopped using all face products, only cleanse with mild Dermologica 2 x day. Went on a Detox and am trying to eat a Low GI diet (as i believe this helps with hormonal imbalance) and FINALLY skin seems to be clearing. I mostly suffered on the chin area, with lots of little whitehead bumps under the skin which eventually break out. These are almost gone now. My skin has also gone from oily to normal/dry. SO, my question; I have purchased the Australian golden jojoba oil, which is now being shipped. Im excited to used it based on good reviews but im also scared that it clogs my pores and bring back those white bumps on chin. Do you think Jojoba can do this or should I start using it? I also purchased the Pure Organic lavender which ill put inside.
Thank you =D

Actually, I’ve found that using a tiny bit of jojoba oil on my forehead over the last three weeks (after using nothing as per the caveman regimen for months and months), as I noticed that my forehead was getting to be quite clogged with whiteheads and clogged pores – I think due to just being a lot more slacker with my diet over the summer – anyway… it’s completely unclogged everything and smoothed out my forehead within a couple of weeks. I’m actually going to do an article about this on Friday, so you’ll be interested in that.

Hi Tracy
Is the Australian jojoba oil that you use from Fran the same one you recommend from high on health? Also, I read that jojoba oil has vitamin A. Doesn’t this cause high sensitivity to the sun, like retin-a?

Hi Tracy,
I had read it in other sites. Here us one of them. I copied ans paste what the description of jojoba oil. What do you think? Should it be a concern?https://www.naturaldogcompany.com/ …

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba contains vitamins A and D, and is a natural antioxidant. Jojoba acts as a humectant to prevent moisture loss. Jojoba is also nourishing because it’s rich in fatty glycerides, which are softeners and emollients for dry skin and are particularly hydrophobic (meaning water-hating). Jojoba has no color, odor and has an amazing shelf life. It’s truly amazing in its properties!

The extract from jojoba seeds contain what are known as alpha, delta, and gamma tocopherols — which are all natural forms of vitamin E.

Jojoba oil is a natural moisturizer that is also bacteriostatic meaning it inhibits the growth of certain acne-causing bacteria. This makes Snout Soother an excellent choice for treating Canine Acne (aka Puppy Acne).

Jojoba has a very tiny molecule which makes it a non-greasy substance. Jojoba is the one plant having a seed oil that is remarkably similar to the oil produced by sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are small glands in the skin which secrete an oily matter (sebum) in the hair follicles to lubricate the skin and hair of animals.

Hi Leticia – I’m not sure what to say, as I’ve only ever seen in other sources mention that it contains Vitamin B and E, but have never seen A. If it does contain A, it’s probably such a small amount that it would not cause photo-sensitivity.

Hi Tracy,
One more question:). Is the Australian jojoba oil that you recommend first pressed and unrefined( as you recommend)? I was about to purchase from high on health store but I thought I should check with you first. It says it’s gently cold pressed. I’m not sure what that means. It says it’s heated and so on. Thanks a bunch:)

Hi Leticia – Yes it is first pressed and unrefined. It’s a very high quality jojoba 🙂

As for tea tree oil, I don’t have a particular brand to recommend, just get one that isn’t mixed with anything, unless it’s just water. 100% pure tea tree oil, but you do have to dilute it when you use it… never put undiluted tea tree oil on your face, it’s waaaay too strong. Mix a couple drops with the jojoba oil or something else.

Thank you for your quick response. I hope I’m not being too much of a pain:/ What do you think of the tea tree oil from The Body Shop? Or should I go with one at amazon that says 100% Pure essential oil Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifold); Plantlife? When you say couple of drops with the jojoba oil; do you mean equal parts? 2 drops jojoba oil and 2 drops tea tree oil?
I’m going to order the jojoba oil now:)

I would stay away from the Body Shop one, it’s full of other things. Get the 100% pure one.
Sorry for not being clear about that haha – I meant, like…. say, whatever amount of jojoba oil you’d use to put on your skin, add one to two drops of tea tree oil to that (not 1:1)….. so for example, dilute it 1 drop of tea tree oil to 20 drops of jojoba oil – or something along those ratio lines.

I just wanted to say that I also started using Jojoba a few months ago and I love it. my skin still isn’t perfect yet but it definitely seems to settle it down. i’ve now started concentrating on cleansing from the inside out following a more alkaline diet. The best priced Jojoba product i’ve found is at http://www.jojocare.com.au/ Before that I was like you using The Jojoba Company brand. I find Jojocare feels like better quality and silky.

No worries Tracy 🙂 I really love the stuff, just ordered myself a big 1L bottle (my husband now uses it too) and it arrived in like 2 days. let me know what you think of it too as this is only the 2nd brand i’ve tried. it seems high quality though 🙂

Thanks for the post. I had good success with a brand called Heather Lorraine which says it is 100% pure expeller pressed on the bottle. I am running out and replaced with the Dessert Essence brand and am not sure I like it as much. I found the other at a small vitamin store so I may go back and try to find it!

Hi Tracy,
Can you tell me the exact technique for washing with jojoba oil? Do you actually wash your face, as with any cleanser, and then rinse off and pat dry? I’ve read that some people put a few drops on a cotton ball to remove makeup, but from there I don’t find how to “wash” with it.

I’ve been using jojoba oil and lavender oil on my face. I am so impressed with lavender oil – it works amazingly well!

The jojoba oil that I’ve been using and have had it for years (I wonder if that matters…?) is from acne.org website from when I used to use benzoyl peroxide. Anyway, do you think I should switch to a higher quality oil? My skin is still very red and dry, which I find strange. Maybe the jojoba isn’t working…What do you think?

Hi Lorraine,
I’m not sure what quality oil acne.org’s is, but if you have really dry skin, the composition of jojoba oil can be a little more on the drying side and may be better suited for oily skin… so maybe a heavier oil would work better for you.
Read over the following article again and see what she says. At the end she gives some suggestions for oils that work well with dry skin:https://thelovevitamin.com/3103/that-oil-is-ours-basic-skincare-with-oils/

Hi Tracy, great work here. Really changed up my perspective and helped me make some significant changes. I’ve been using jojoba oil for a little over a week and my skin has been kind of oilier than I thought it would be. The month before I had only been washing with water. Do you think that it makes sense for my skin to be a little oilier now that I started using jojoba oil or do you think I could just be using too much when I apply it? I mean, how little are we talking, cause I’m not using a lot, but maybe still too much… I’m running in circles around this one, lolzz. Jeepers, anyway thanks for all the help.

I am looking in to trying Jojoba Oil. I have really bad acne and have been trying different things–drugstore products and such. But nothing worked until I went to my dermatologist and she gave me antibiotics. It worked…but I hate using it! I want something natural to clear my skin. So I am really hoping this will work. I’ve started washing my face with oatmeal in the morning and honey at night with almond oil as a moisturizer, and I have seen a slight difference–my skin is not as inflamed, red, and bumpy. Still acne, but I’m giving it more time…

Anyways! My main point in commenting was because I found this Jojoba oil on Amazon and wanted to see if you’d recommend it. The price is really good, so that’s why I’m thinking it’s not going to be the good kind…

I am using jojoba oil. Mine is Now solutions 100% moisturizing oil. got it from the vitamin shoppe. Is that any good??? it hasn’t bothered my skin at all. I’m doing your routine Tracy for the last two weeks using honey and jojoba. I definitely need to get me some manuka honey but that stuff is not cheap watsoever lol. umm maybe even some from the whole food store even for now. Thanks so much for the advice you give and all these natural remedies for my skin. lovin it! Just need to work on getting these scars GONE!

Loved what you wrote! I’ve always been attracted to natural skin care, but dermatologists I’ve seen have only pushed antibiotics and creams that have left me worse off than when I first started. So, wanting to begin a more “natural” approach to my skin care, I’ve started using Safflower oil (as my main moisturizer) with Lavender, Tea Tree and Kukui essential oils mixed in. I’ve done a lot of research about these oils and their antibacterial/soothing/healing properties. I wanted ones that would be good for my somewhat dry yet acne-prone skin, and so far so good!

And now that I’ve read many replies here touting the many benefits of Jojoba oil, I’m tempted to try it, but would it be going overboard on the oils? I know both Safflower and Jojoba oils are “carrier” oils, so if I were to try the Jojoba, would I only use it in place of the Safflower oil? I don’t want to mess with a good thing, but if it could be even better . . . 🙂

Hi Jennifer,
No, I wouldn’t jump on the jojoba train just because… I think everyone’s skin responds better to different oils. In a day or two, I actually am going to be posting a guest post from an oils expert (believe me, I’m not one!) which goes over exactly which oils she thinks is best for which skin type and example formulations and that kind of thing. I’m betting the formula you have going is great, especially if you feel you’ve done a ton of research on it!!

Thanks for the feedback! I look forward to reading about the different oils. Is it like the one posted here by Svea on February 16, 2012? That was a great post and VERY informative! I think I remember reading a reply to that post from you asking if she’d like to like to “guest post” her information for everyone to see. That would be awesome!

Hey all Just a quick note on jojoba oil. It is a known for its great properties but if you suffer from Acne and clogged pores it may not be best for you. Jojoba oil is rated a 2 on a scale of 0-5. Of being comedogenic. There are some oils that are rated 0. Check out this link for a great list.http://www.beneficialbotanicals.com/facts-figures/comedogenic-rating.html

I have hormonal acne and have been doing the oil cleansing method with fantastic results using castor oil and high linoliec safflower oil and moisturizing with raw shea butter. The list lets you know what is safe to use on the skin without promoting any risk is skin clogging.

Have you ever tried the Jojoba oil from Trader Joe’s? I found it there recently and it says it’s 100% pure. I usually trust their items to be pure like they say and of good quality. It does not say organic, but I can’t see Trader Joe’s selling items that are packed with pesticides, etc… Any thoughts?

Hi Rachel, if it doesn’t say organic cold pressed, I wouldn’t trust it. And I wouldn’t trust Trader Joe’s just on principle because they don’t seem like they’d do that. Trader Joe’s is a big corporation with a funky fun farmer’s market image. Sure they do sell some good and interesting food and I’m not to saying not to shop there, but like Whole Foods, they don’t exclusively sell organic food, and their image is often at odds with their business practices. They want their food to look like it came from the farmer or the food artisan down the street, but they actually don’t really want you to know where it came from, and they sell food from large food corporations owned by Pepsi, etc. Yeah. Don’t trust, be discerning.

Hi,
I am really excited to try jojoba oil after reading your article and all the comments. I’m wondering if you have found a brand sold at Whole Foods that is organic cold pressed? I am hoping to find one there, rather than order online. Thanks so much!

Hi, some time ago I read your article about jojoba oil and decided to give a go. My face looked better that time because of paleo diet I started but still had some new breakouts as well as old wounds that wouldn’t heal. Jojoba helped me but not with acne but it nourished those part of my face that was free from acne. My skin was iritated, dry because of the treatment I’ve been previously using. Looking at my face and still seeing some infammation makes you want to do sth quickly that means you either apply something on your face or wash it to make the pimples go away. That way I was constantly iritating my skin not giving it enough time to heal itself. So I started the caveman regiment (which you mentioned in the article)for 30 days, but after just one week I saw huge difference – my acne started to shrink and my face became smooth. And after 3 weeks I went back to using jojoba to see if it’s can improve my skin even better. It’s not causing me new flares up and it helped me a little bit with what’s left, which are scars. Though I’m currently looking for a better product. I also tried my best following the healthy diet.
Sorry for this long comment but I needed to share my story with you 🙂

Tracy, thank you for what you’re doing, God bless you! I can look and smile at myself in the mirror thanks to you 😀

Hey Marta! That’s awesome that a combination of jojoba and the caveman has worked so well for you 😀
As for an oil of bidens tripartita, I’ve never heard of it so I don’t have much of an opinion! Sorry!

Hi Tracy! So I have just started using the jojoba from Fran’s site and have used it fr almost a week and I got a huge ingrown zit on the tip of my nose and one under my eye. The jojoba from Fran feels silky and nice on the skin, but I noticed I am oilier on my forehead, as the only thing I have changed is brands of jojoba. What do you think may be happening. I am using the same amount as I usually use, as I used to use Desert Essence. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I also stopped eating gluten for the past two weeks, so maybe this has something to do with it?

Hi Nick,
Hmm well, unfortunately, I can’t really say why you got the zit. It could have been anything! Maybe it does have to do with the switch in jojoba, or the gluten… or a million other unforeseen factors 🙂 I say ride it out a little and see what happens, but go with you gut… if you think it was the jojoba oil, then maybe use the old one if it worked better!

Hi Tracy! Love your videos, I find them so informative! I was doing some searchs on jojoba oil and I came across this company, it looks like it meets your criteria but I want to make sure I am not missing anything, what do you think of it http://www.jojobacompany.com
-Kitty

You must not know about the acne.org jojoba oil. It’s pretty darn affordable. More affordable than the cheap desert essence crap. http://www.acne.org/jojoba-oil.html
Go to the bottom of the page and you’ll see the kind of oil they sell.

Hmm, I don’t know Cathy, maybe they changed the quality, or perhaps since I wrote this article, they changed the wording of their marketing to specifically say unrefined and cold pressed. If it is what they say it is, then Desert Essence must be an alright brand of jojoba 🙂 I’d give it a shot.

Not an expert, but I’d say to shy away from Dessert Essence. Their jojoba oil worked pretty well at first, but I was still broken out at the time, it continued to stay at that level and then it felt like it broke me out worse. I wasn’t sure if the oil was the problem so I tested not using it as much (just less in general and none in the mornings) and instantly things started looking up. Though I do love the feel of it, so I went on the hunt for some higher quality jojoba oil.

Hi Tracy, I read a post on here that someone said the manuka honey was staining his skin, can this happen from dark and light honey? ! I started my new face wash routine last night (removed makeup with few drops of jojoba oil and manuka honey, then jojoba oil to wash face). This morning im going to apply the honey to my dry skin for a bit then rinse and use the jojoba oil (im trying ur face wash routine from the vid to figure out what works for my skin). The manuka honey brand I use is “Manuka health, New Zealand” its called manuka honey blend, grade:Amber. Not too sure if this is a good one … it was pricy and from my local health food store . .. thanks 🙂

Hi Ontario Girl,
Well, I don’t really know about the staining, I have only heard about it from a couple of people here. I never experienced that myself with any of the manukas or honeys that I’ve tried, and it doesn’t seem most other people have. I would think it would probably occur more with a dark honey, but honestly I don’t know what the story is! I really wouldn’t worry about it since it’s not that likely to occur…. worry about it if it happens and then you can decide whether honey is for you!

Absolutely LOVE your website Tracey, and have even contacted your naturopath doctor and going to make an appointment with her in the next few months, as I also need to take ferry ride from Vancouver. (She is so sweet, and so nice to answer my emails promptly and with detailed info.)

If you have time (how do you keep up with this popular website?? i’m impressed). Please take a look and I’d really appreciate your feedback.

I have acne along my jaw lines, lower cheek close to mouth and between by eyes. Your face map was super helpful, I’ve been doing a tiny bit of yoga at night for hormone and lymphatic help, and breathing properly and thinking happy thoughts, manage stress. And I’ve been addicted to your website for the past week! (So have been up reading your articles till 12am nightly…need to still work on the sleeping thing.)

Will be commenting more, and I’m so excited to go on this journey to healing naturally! You are awesome, thanks for sharing your knowledge, and I look forward to reading your book in the near future. Thanks a bunch!

So glad I found this little gem of an article! I had been using jojoba that I got for about 12 bucks from a local health food store (which I assumed meant it was a good, quality oil), but I had a constant rash of clogged pores on my forehead. After reading this article last week I quickly purchased a 50+ dollar bottle from Amazon. I received it yesterday and used it last night and this morning. Already my forehead has calmed down and smoothed out! The most noticeable difference is that this new oil actually absorbs right into my skin, while the brand I was using before (I don’t remember the name) would mostly just sit on top of my skin, most likely clogging my pores! This one also has a fragrance to it, which the old one didn’t. I have learned a lot about oils in the past month and the most important lesson? Fragrant oil is usually better, because it means the processing has been minimal! Anyway, thank you for this article, Tracy! I definitely think that people who have a hard time with jojoba may very well be using poor quality jojoba! I certainly was.

The Desert Essence website specifies that its organic version is unrefined as well as the non-certified “pure” version (not sure the difference). But since in your article you were doubtful of this brand’s purity, are you suggesting that they are specifically advertising it as unrefined but it actually isn’t? I’m just trying to find an oil to buy and having trouble!

Hi tracy.. I saw your comment earlier regarding the Jojoba oil from trader joes.. I’ve been mixing it into the manuka honey and I have been getting positive results.. but your comment scared me a little bit. Should I stop using it? Should i test it out alone first without it mixed into anything.. I’ve only used it once so far.. I feel like why would they put 100% when its not? not sure why it doesn’t say organic :/ any advice or feedback would really be appreciated..

I aslo but primrose evening oil capsul and milk thistle from trader joes.. do you think thats bad? do brands make a difference for the primose oil and milk thistle? What do you recommend?

Thank you so much for everything tracy, your amazing and I’m obsessed with you and so thankful.

I think when I wrote this article that they didn’t actually state on their bottle that the jojoba was 100% organic uncut cold pressed, so I was not sure about it. They may have updated their packaging to state that… Either way, it sounds like it’s fine! And if it is working well for you, so keep using it.

As for evening primrose oil and milk thistle… I’m sure there are some brands that are better than others. As of now, I don’t have a list or anything to tell you. Just research the ones you bought, look at reviews, etc

😀 all this info sounds really good, I was really curious about the caveman regimen though, I know that doing the same sort of thing with my hair (slowly weening my hair away from daily washes)has done wonders so I’m wondering if the same thing wouldn’t be amazing for my skin! I feel nervous about it though because I know that even forgetting to was one day makes my face feel clogged and closed
P.S. when I was looking for the caveman regimen I laughed because your video was one of the first to come up!!

I was informed, that the jojoba will first make you break out because it is pulling all the “junk” out of your pores. I have severe acne prone skin, and all I use is organic jojoba. I did experience a little worse breakout before it all cleared up. So I would give it a month, to make it thru your period.

Also, use a hot towel to remove access oil after applying. Jojoba can be used as a cleanser, use a hot towel to remove makeup and dirt, then even reapply for moisture. You can use a cotton round to remove access. But acne will get worse before it gets better, its cleansing your pores.

Heather Loraine makes a GREAT product. I prefer the cold pressed filtered Jojoba she makes (clear, odorless), but it depends on your skin type. I have used organic golden of a different brand, I didnt like to scent.

I’m very new to all this natural skin care. I don’t think my skin is majorly oily but I do suffer with under the skin kind of acne which sometimes do surface as whiteheads. I’ve been reading a lot about jojoba oil and defiantly like the sound of it :).

I’m only a student so am not the richest of people 🙂 but I have found one jojoba oil that says its 100% organic jojoba oil. But doesn’t say anything like unrefined, fined, first pressed, 2nd pressed or anything so have no idea. Was. Wondering if you guys oiled have a look and help me out. Website is

Hi Chloe 🙂
Well, if it doesn’t say it’s unrefined or anything like that, then it’s probably not. Or at least I have no way of telling if it is or not. I guess the only way to know for sure is to call the company and ask, and hope they aren’t lying!

Hi Tracy! I was looking at your “things I love” tab because I’m on the hunt for a good jojoba oil to use. I was going to buy the jojoba oil that you use, but once the shipping cost was added on I felt a bit overwhelmed! I noticed you recommended another one from Dr. Adorable. It’s extremely cheap in comparison, and while it claims to meet all of your requirements, do you think it’d be a risk to try it? I’m scared that because it’s so cheap, it’s possibly bad quality.
Thanks!

Hi Sarah, yes the Dr. Adorable is definitely more affordable but I’m not really sure why it’s so much cheaper! It says it has all the qualities we’re looking for, but in the end, I can’t molecularly test it, so I can’t say if it is what it says it is. I also haven’t personally tried that brand. Anyone else here tried the Dr. Adorable?

I am currently using this brand. This is my first time using jojoba oil, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I used grapeseed oil before, and to be honest I did not find a big change in my skin for either. My skin overall has become better since I’ve taken Estroblock and now DIM.
I was also going through a phase where my skin was SUPER dry (I combined several different kinds of essential oils together, tea tree oil was one of them, and that brand particularly dried out my skin.) So I stopped and just stuck to jojoba oil, and a light moisturizer after. My skin returned to normal, and sometimes looks even dewy (love it!) And so far my skin is very good compared to before.
I would recommend it because it’s inexpensive, and I have not had negative results from it. However the one concern I had was it came in a clear plastic bottle (I think they have a larger size that comes in a light sensitive bottle), so that is a bit strange to me.
I used to have a lot of cystic acne around my mouth, and jawline, and Estroblock and now DIM helped DRAMATICALLY with reducing that. I have noticed a difference in less blackheads and white heads as well, however that may again be contributed to Estroblock (I also take vitex and burdock roots).
I’m happy to use this because I know it’s natural. However, I may change up the brand next time just to see if there is a difference.
I also bought evening primerose oil from Dr.Adorable, and mix it with the jojoba.

Hi Tracy! I found your blog a little while ago and I love it! After reading this post I decided to switch my daily moisturizing regime to include jojoba oil, as I was using an “oil-free” gel that was actually making me super oily. I’m now using 1/2 drops of jojoba oil mixed with aloe vera or green tea (to make it easier to apply and absorb) and I´m super happy with the effect, no breakouts and oiliness decreased a low. However, after a couple of weeks I notice that my skin is getting a little bit dry, which may be bc of jojoba’s astringent properties as you mentioned. I don’t want to give it up as daily moisturizer since I love the “mattifying” effect and the fact that it’s one of the few photo stable oils than can be safely used during the day. Do you think there’s anything I could add to the jojoba/tea mixture to increase moisture without causing any flares or breakouts? I was thinking vitamin E but then I read that some people broke out from it and I’m working very hard to keep my hormonal acne under control without resorting to nasty chemicals. Any ideas that you can think of? I would really appreciate your advice! Thank you for your time and for all the help and love you give through the blog!!

Desert Essence is actually cold pressed so anyone who wants to use it should not be suaded otherwise. Generally things are more expensive for profit, not due to quality, although they’d like to make you think as much.

Thanks for your reply. The thing is that it is not really clogged, but more of a combination of dry dry skin and oily skin. there are a few bumps scattered around but the skin is just really lumpy. Also when I lift my eyebrows the skin feels tight. I have not washed my face for two days now, and I do not know if this would make it worse. Any help is appreciated.

I’ve been rubbing jojoba oil on my clogged pores every night for the past two months, and I’ve barely noticed any change at all. Remembering what you said about how you cleared yours, I started taking Estroblock about two and a half weeks ago along with using the jojoba oil. So far, I haven’t seen too much of a change. Do you think that I need to wait longer because I so recently added Estroblock (even though it only took three weeks for you) or do you think my skin just isn’t responding to jojoba oil? Fran talked about hemp seed oil being good for unclogging pores, so I bought some and was going to give that a shot when I decided jojoba oil just wasn’t doing the trick. Could you provide your opinion on this frustrating situation?

Hi Sarah,
Well, when I made this video, I thought it was mostly the jojoba oil that did the trick, but now I think it was jojoba that mechanically unclogged them, and Estroblock probably helped, and was what has kept my forehead clear ever since (even though I eventually stopped using the jojoba oil on the forehead). Estroblock actually took me about 2 months to really see results, although I can’t actually promise that you will definitely see results, unfortunately people are different. Also if you don’t think jojoba is working, by all means try hemp oil! There’s no one size fits all when it comes to oils

Hey Tracy 🙂 I’ve been reading through your website and am really enjoying it. I have suffered with very bad acne for a couple years now. I’m 19, and have gone wheat free, vegetable oil free, and sugar free. I’ve cleaned up my diet, and am now eating organically and balanced. However! My stubborn acne will not go away! I’ve started the Oil Cleansing Method, and have seen some minor improvements. I’ve been using strictly argan oil for it, but was wondering, could I mix argan oil and jojoba? After reading about the jojoba in your post, I thought I should give it a go in my OCM cleansing. Thank you 🙂

I have pretty bad skin: at 30 I have to use acne medication… That aside, my skin is so sensitive that I often get huge problems with my skin starting to painfully peel off. Needless to say, I’m not very keen on face washes. I’ve tried some before, but they were so irritating and caused break outs.

The only thing my sensitive skin can use is the Made From Earth Grapefruit Glycolic Wash. First, micro-beads are big, so even if you scrub a lot, they won’t scratch you. Second, I did not notice any break outs after using this product every other day for a month now and my skin looks much more radiant and feels really smooth.
I’m one of those people who really need to use sensitive skin products, but I’ trying to move away from Clinique to more natural/organic like Made From Earth.

How do I know if I am having a reaction to jojoba oil? In about March of this year I developed pretty severe acne and have been dealing with it since.

Nothing seems to be working despite eating clean, cutting down on drinking and smoking, taking vitex for over a month along with fish oil and probiotics, switching to mineral powder, getting more sleep, upping my water intake, visiting my doctor regularly, etc..

I wash my face with organic active 15+ manuka honey and moisturize with Desert Essence jojoba. I have a feeling the semi-recent outbreak of hundreds of tiny whiteheads and clogged pores has been due to my new moisturizer. Problem is, I love the way jojoba oil feels.

Hi Suzanne,
have you ever tried any other oil? Hemp oil in a good quality is supposed to be one of the few natural oils that isn’t the least bit comedogenic. It will make your skin feel soft and smooth as well. Maybe it’s worth a try?

I have been having trouble finding a good jojoba oil. I found one the brand is Hobe Naturals. It says it’s organic, cold pressed, and 100% pure Arizona grown. I’m worried that this may not be a good one because of what you wrote about the Dessert Essence Brand. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Hi Cristina,
well, it says that it’s cold pressed and organic. This is pretty good! The problem with the Desert Essence brand is that they only define their oil as “pure”. “Pure” is no protected term, but “cold pressed” and “organic” are. You could have a closer look if the oil is USDA certified. That would be even better!

Hi Tracy,
LOVE,LOVE,LOVE your site!!! You offer so much wonderful information for such a sensitive topic. I was wondering if you’ve ever heard of Leven Rose Jojoba Oil-I found it on Amazon. It’s organic and 100% pure cold pressed unrefined!
Thanks for your help.
Karen

How did the Leven Rose jojoba oil work out for you?? I’m thinking of purchasing it also, but the affordable price is throwing me off for being organic, cold pressed, unrefined, etc! $13 for 4 ounces seems cheap compared to the Aura Cacia organic jojoba oil I’ve been buying from Whole Foods which does not state it’s unrefined or cold pressed and is $18 for 4 ounces. Let me know how it worked for you, and if anyone else here has tried the Leven Rose brand jojoba oil before! And thank you Tracy for the great website!

my skin can’t even handle the 0.5 retinol, get’s super dry and flaky that it makes me break out, I’m 21 years old and ever since i moved to Canada (2 years ago) i have been having problems with my skin, I break out during the summer time and i thought it was because of the humidity, but i also break out during the winter time even if i use a moisturizer (enzymion from lush), when I wash my face, it feels so tight and dry. I think I have oily-combo skin, and even though the lush moisturizer really helped at first and I stopped breaking out, after a month all my problems are back. Anyways, all this just to ask for help, Please, I have tried, vitamin e, a vitamin c serum, clinique’s dramatically different moisturizer lotion+, etc. (THEY ALL MADE ME BREAK OUT MORE) I need a moisturizer that will help moisturize my skin, without leaving it oily and heavy feeling, and most important that is not gonna make me break out. ANY SUGGESTIONS? It can be an oil too, like I have heard good reviews on josie maran argan oil, or tarte’s maracuja oil, jojoba oil. PS: I don’t care if it is a little expensive, high end or drugstore products, I am willing to spend a good amount for the health of my skin. OH and also, If you can suggest a sunscreen that will be great since the summer’s comming.

Its been a while since my last comment.Ive been using jojoba oil for the pass 6 weeks ( Australian golden jojoba oil) the first three weeks my skin really improved.my clogged pores started to improve within the first week of using the oil, I havent really had any bad ones come up. the only thing im finding at the moment is the clogged pores are back, not worse or better than they was to start with. im also seem to be getting more white heads than ususal and spots in places I never got before.(not loads) is this normal after 6 weeks of use? because I have oliy skin and the weather is quite warm here is it best to stop using it or cut it down?
Im trying to find a natural face wash as I wear natural make up and need to wash it off.

In jojoba oil production, I don’t see why they would have to use any pesticides in the first place. It’s a plant that grows in the harsh desert and it is probably not attacked by a lot of insects. Unless someone has more information on how jojoba is commercially grown, I’m assuming that there’s no real difference between non-organic jojoba and organic jojoba. “Organic jojoba” sounds like a marketing gimmick.

It’s wrong to assume that everything non-organic must be drenched in pesticides. Many crops do not need almost any pesticides to grow. That’s why you’re throwing away your money if you buy things like “organic avocados” (hint: avocados need few pesticides and the avocados from the grocery store have the lowest measured pesticide residue of any produce). Following the “Clean Fifteen” list (google it) can save you a lot of money.

Hi Sarah, yeah expeller pressed isn’t ideally, cold pressed is better for that exact reason. As for diluting essential oils, yes they should definitely be diluted… the best thing to dilute them in is another oil like jojoba… you can dilute them in water I guess, I don’t know how well that works though because oil and water don’t really mix

I just bought the NOW jojoba oil, and it said it’s expeller-pressed. You mention in your post that we should be looking for something that says expeller-pressed. I’m confused. What do I need to be looking for? Do I need to make sure it says “first pressed expeller-pressed”? I also started using it with a raw honey. I’m very hopeful that this helps me with my acne.

Hi, I use Desert Essence’s jojoba oil and have been using it for years. I don’t even remember how many bottles I’ve gone through although each bottle lasts quite some time because I use very little of it (just 1 or 2 drops as a face moisturizer, sometimes as makeup remover and body moisturizer). I still have 3 additional bottles sitting in my cupboard. Good thing jojoba oil takes forever to expire/go bad

I am very excited today as I bought my first bottle of jojoba oil. I decided to try a 30ml format to see if it is appropriated for my skin from a natural health store close to my home. It’s an organic jojoba oil “Divine essence” that is a 1st cold pressed virgin oil with the mention pure and natural 100% and the ecosert stamp (an organic certification). The name of the company is Union nature aroma phyto inc. So I would like to start to use it with one drop of tea tree because I love the smell. Tomorrow, I would like to buy local organic raw honey to try the honey mask as well. If I like the result I would like to order online the manuka honey and the australian gold jojoba oil you proposed Tracy. But I can’t wait ! I have put a drop of jojoba oil on my hand and I so love the feeling. It doesn’t feel oily at all, it simply feels hydrated.

I used to apply each night on my face a gel from my dermatologist office with salicyclic and glycolic acids. Truth be told, i think it wasn’t good to my face. The gel is in a glass bottle with a caoutchou dropper. One night, when I was about to apply it on my face, I have discover that the caoutchou of the dropper was all melted (and this because the bottle wasn’t store properly and the gel was touching the caoutchou). I realised then how much strong it was and was wondering what it was really doing to me face! So I stopped it!

So tonight, I gonna try the jojoba oil. Thank you so much Tracy for all your knowledge.

I forgot to mention… Not only it feels good on my skin, but it feels right and deeply good in my heart and soul. It’s like being connected to mother earth!!! I am glad to make the transition to natural for most of the things in my life 🙂

Yes thank you! I really enjoyed that moment with myself massaging and giving lot of love to my skin instead of arming it with harsh chemicals and be in war with myself. When I woke this morning I felt that my skin was well hydrated and supple. I founded that my indented scars was less noticeable, probably because my skin wasn’t dry out by those harsh product. I just think that jojoba oil give an healthy glow that make me proud when I looke at me in the mirror. It is not oily at all. It has helped my eczema as well. It just feels great. For now, it is my routine at night and in the morning I used a natural aloe gel with a natural face wash, then I will smoothly make the transition. I am all about treating me smoothly, but that’s me. I’ll keep you posted if I ever experiment breakout during my routine, but so far not breakout, no blotchy skin.

Yesterday, I added a drop of tea tree oil in my jojoba and I so love the smell, it felt fresh 🙂

Voilà. Thanks a lot Tracy, 2 years ago I wasn’t ready to make the move… Thinking about oil was just so scary to me, but I kept visiting your blog and now I am taking all this more seriously. I have switch all my skin care and body care to natural.

It is my second day using jojoba oil and I can see some tiny little pimples, barely noticeable and barely red and wonder if it is not the “purge” the clogged pores. I don’t know if my pores were clogged before… My question: are those tiny small pimple only a process of my skin purging all impurities and it will go back to normal after a while? I counted 5 of them (1 on my left cheek, 2 on my right cheek, 1 on my chin and one close to my upper lip area). I wonder How much time should I wait before considering that jojoba oil is working for me or not?

It might be as well the supplement I have started 2 weeks ago, milk thisle (liver), zinc and vitamin B. I know that when I have started the milk thisle, I sometime had little pimples that was there one day and gone the other.

Hey there, Ive been using Jojoba oil for a couple of months now and I absolutely love it, it improved my skin massively and the simplicity of the routine (only jojoba oil for cleaning and moisturizing and the occasional honey mask) is amazing, takes so much stress off me. However, I live in the north of Germany and with the cold months approaching and the change of hot/cold air in and outside, it doesn’t seem to be enough for my skin anymore. It feels really dry straight after applying the oil and I get more and more blackheads, probably due to the excess oil my skin is producing in order to make up for the lack of moisture. What could I do? I really don’t want to buy yet another high-street ‘miracle’ (haha…) cream when it felt so good not to be depended of it anymore. Thanks so much for your advice!

thanks tracy, ive tried with sweet almond oil but its still the same, 5 minutes after ive applied it my skin feels itchy, dry and turns reddish. Ive now bought the Avene cold cream since I had fairly good results with Avene in the past (by conventional skincare-standrads, nowhere as good as the jojoba-oil-only in summer) but now my skins of course super greasy and shiny and Im afraid it will clog my pores and make me break out again, already have three or four rather big blemishes, hadnt have any of those in months. and of course im majorly freaking out because I havent changed anything about eating habits or so and I dont know how to combat the change in climate. i know stress is a trigger so im trying to stay calm but i was so happy with my skin and now the bloody winter messes everything up again

I’ve read most of these comments and I’m trying to figure out if its ok for me to add some drops of the jojoba oil to my Manuka honey? Or do I need to do the Manuka first, then massage some of the jojoba oil in and rinse it off? Or vice versa? Thanks!

Those who use the honey and jojoba oil cleansing routine, what have your experiences been with skin purging/adjusting? Mine has been going on for about 3 months now and i’m just wondering if thats normal or not! Thanks!

So.. i have tried every kind of moisturizer there is i feel, and oils are the worst as they make my skin congested and irritated, every oil i tried (and i tried a lot) made my skin like that. I have combo skin. My skin hates moisturizers. When i tried to wash with really raw honey, it got really clogged and just congested. Aloe vera dries me out. Right now i am taking a lot of antaxanthin for sun protection, since i like to be outside a lot, and i have a very good diet. I drink a lot of white tea and rooibos tea too. I just started to lay off all topicals after the honey disaster, and it seems to be slowly helping. I guess I am wondering if i really do need a moisturizer? I really appriciate a reply. Thanks

Hi tracy, you look lovely!! I have been using jojoba oil as a cleanser too the first few days my skin was all smooth and soft. But now seems like my face is full of whiteheads skin colored. Should i stop using jojoba oil please help!!

I’m 36 with combination skin and large pores. I’ve been using the Grapefruit Glycolic Wash from Made from Earth for about 6 months and love it. Its a gentle glycolic wash (and I have sensitive skin) and this wash has kept my breakouts to a minimum. Over use of any glycolic acid treatment can be drying – but not with this one – Ive been using daily with no problems.

Hi tracy
For the last few years, i have always bought Australian gold jojoba oil from the jojoba company as you recommend. I have been very pleased with the product. Last week i ordered the brand Laven Rose on amazon.
Its says cold pressed, organic and unrefined and i liked the idea of a dropper.

The first time i used it i could tell it was different from australian gold.
LevenRose has absolutely no smell to it. But after a few minutes on my skin, my face smells like grease. Kind a like when i eat corn with butter and i can smell the butter on my upper lip!

I’m going back to Australian gold.

Could anyone comment on the SMELL of their jojoba brand?
I find australian gold has a smell to it but it doesnt smell on my face.
Leven rose has no smell but smells like grease on my face.

I read your post on using jojoba oil to treat acne and started using it. I just want you to know that you should be more responsible in your posting, because jojoba oil use is apparently the cause of my first seborrheic dermatitis flare up, and now my skin is in far worse condition compared with the cystic acne that I was dealing with. And the worst part is it’s not treatable. I know it’s something that only people with combination skin suffer from, and you are not the only site that is posting about the wonders of jojoba for acne (and the possibility of subbing it as a moisturizer) — but it’s you should really post these things with a big caveat.

Hi, Tracy! Thank you so much for all the helpful advice. I’ve recently started washing my face with a mixture of Manuka honey, aloe vera, and jojoba oil. I also am looking to use jojoba oil as my AM and PM moisturizer. Thanks for giving me the tip to wash it off to avoid attracting dirt that can clog my pores!

I was wondering- do you support the use of topical retinoids? I’ve been using them for a few months now and although I’m still peeling, I think that they might be helping my acne flare-ups. Also, do you have any suggestions how I should incorporate the jojoba oil in my daily skin regimen with the retinoids? For example, should I apply the retinoids first, wait a substantial amount of time, then apply the jojoba oil?

[…] with extra virgin olive oil. I splash my face with water to get some of it off, and I put on some jojoba oil. I find the combination of the two oils great for my face. It doesn’t make it too oily, and […]

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